Derailing-switch.



Patented Dee. l9, I899 A. L. GEORGE.

DERAILING SWITCH.

(Application filed July 27, 1399.,

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

1 gm Ema WITNESSES R m m m Na ATTORNEY.

ms onms PETERS co. PHOYO-LITHQ, WASNINGTDN, 11c.

- Paten ted Dec. l9, I899.

A. L. GEORGE.

DERAILING SWITCH.

(Application filed July 27, 1899.)

3 SheetsShaet 2.

(No Model.)

Q [gun/EH0 Qmmaha 3&3 ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES:

Patented Dec. [9, [899. A. L. GEORGE.

DERAILING SWITCH.

(Application filed July 27, #899.)-

(No Model.)

. SECTION an AA INVENTOI? WI TNESSES 'QNWW&S. Ms 'ATTORIVEY.

and useful rrnn TATES' PATENT rrrcn'.

ARTHUR L. GEORGE, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAINSTEEL COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DERAlLING-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639.373, dated December19, 1899.

Application filed July 27, 1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. GEORGE, of Johnstown, in the county ofCambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new Improvement inDerailing- Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform a part of this specification.

This invention has relation to switches of that class generally known asderailingswitches, which are designed for use where an electric orstreet car track crosses a steamrailroad or at other danger-points forthe purpose of compelling a car approaching the crossing to stop beforeproceeding over the crossing or by the danger-point, and thereby lessento a great extent the occurrence of accidents.

The object of the invention is to provide a switch of this characterwith means whereby the switch tongue or point is normally positivelylocked in a position to divert an approaching car from its main track tosiding or turnout rails and whereby such lock cannot be released exceptat a point in advance of the car and upon the distant side of thecrossing or other danger-point, the releasing means, however, beingindependent of any means for throwing the switch-tongue to its oppositeposition or in position to pass the car, which can only be done at theswitch itself, and the invention is herein distin guished from thoseswitches heretofore used wherein the switch is thrown from a tower orother distant point.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the carafter passing the switch is caused to set in operation devices forautomatically returning the switch-tongue to its normal divertingposition.

Other objects relate to the simplification in construction andarrangement of the parts employed in carrying into effect the abovenamedobjects and to provide means therefor of practical and inexpensivecharacter which can be used in connection with any ordinary pivotalswitch-tongue.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described,

Serial No. 725,285- (No model.)

and pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan View showing theapplication of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing theswitch proper, the lock therefor and its adjuncts, and the meansoperated by a passing car for resetting the lock, the covers of therespective boxes inclosing the operating devices being removed. Fig. 3is a sectional plan. view of the locking devices. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of the same with the box in section. Figs. 5 and 6 are detailviews of one of the Wedges. Fig.7 is a sectional plan view of theresetting devices. Fig. Sis a section on the line A A of Fig. 7. Fig. 9is a side elevation showing the manner in which the box containing theresetting devices is secured to the rail. Fig. 10 is a detail view.Figs. 11 and 12 are detail views showing a modification of the lockingdevice. Figs. 13 and 14 are detail views of the parts at the distantside of the crossing.

In thedrawings the letterA designates the main rails of the electricroad or street-track, B the siding or turnout rails, and C the rails ofthe steam-track.

Dis a switch-tongue of the usual pivoted style and which is normally setin position to divert an approaching car onto the rails B.

D designates a suitable box or closure which is set in the road bedagainst the switch structure (to whichit is usually bolted) at a pointbetween the heel and point of the switch-tongue and nearer to the pointthan to the heel.

E is a bell-crank or rocker which is sleeved within said box on a pin 0,supported in lugs c and having the arms E E The arm E is bifurcated, asshown in Fig.4, and the end portions of its furcations are provided withopen slots e.

F designates a block or stud having pins or studsff projecting from itstop and bottom surfaces and engaging the slots 6 of the arm E. Saidblock has at one sidea laterally-projecting rod or stem F, which extendsout through one side of the box or closure D and through an opening inthe switch structure in position for contact with the side of theswitch-tongue, as shown. The opposite side G by means of which it ismade fast to a rod H in the lower portion of the box D. The outer edgeof the said block also has a bearing against an antifriction-roller Gjournaled in bearings g on the side of the box.

The rod H, which is provided with guides in projections D and D ofthe'box D, has coiled about it a spring I, bearing at one end againstthe wall of the projection D and at the oppositeend against the arm G ofthe block G.

K is a second spring, which is coiled about thexrod or stem F, abovedescribed, with a bearing at one end against the block F and atthe'ot-her end against the wall of the box D, its action being to keepthe wedge-face of the blocks F and G in contact with each other and tocause the block F to recede from the switch-tongue as the block F ismoved to the right, (looking at the drawings G,) as hereinafter morefully described.

Connected to the rod H is a cable L or its equivalent which extendsthrough a suitable protective casing L to a point on the opposite sideof the crossing, where it enters a second box L set'in the road-bed oradjacent thereto, and is connected to the depending arm of a rocker LThe rocker L is journaled transversely in open bearings Z on thei-nnersides of the box L and is formed with .a socket Z to receive asuitable operating-bar.

depending-lug or flange of the said plate is a stud R, which projectslaterally through an opening r'in the web'of the rail B and ispivotallyconnected at s to an arm S of a bellcrank or rocker S, sleeved on a pinor bolt 8. Connecting the other arm 5 of said bellcran'kor rocker withthe arm E of the bell- -crank-orrocker E, above described, is a rod T.

Themannerof operation is as follows: The switch being normally set todivert the car from'the main track and positively locked in thatposition by the contact of the switchtongue with the rod or stem F ofthe wedgeblock F, a car must always stop before proceeding to theerossingand the conductor or '1 other employee must precede the car tothe otherside of the crossing, where by means of -a suitable barinserted in the socket Z of the rocker L he aetuates the connection L,rod

H, and wedge-block G to withdraw the inclined face of the latter fromcon-tact with the similar face of the block F. As the block G is thuswithdrawn, the spring K acts to force the block toward the outer wall ofthe block or casing D until it engages with the shoulder g of the blockG. This engagement locks the block G against return movement and holdsthe spring I under compression. The described movement of the block Fhas withdrawn the rod or stem F a sufficient distance from theswitch-tongue to permit the latter to be thrown to position to pass thecar, which is done by the motorman of the car by means of a bar such asis usually employed for this purpose. The car now proceeds, and inpassing the box N the wheel-plate O by the action of the wheel-flange ismoved away from the rail B, and this movement, through the rocker S androd T, actuates the rocker-E to move the wedge-block F toward its normalposition and release its engagement with the shoulder g of the block G.This, it will be seen, releases the spring I, which immediatelymoves theblock G back to normal position ,and thereby completes the returnmovement of the block F to reset the switch-tongue and again lock it.

It will be observed that I do not depend-altogether upon the action ofthe passing car to resetand lock the switch, but that Isu-pplement suchaction with the action of the'spring I. The principal reason for this isfound in the fact that the wheel-flanges vary considerably in thickness,and if the parts were a'rranged to have asufficient degree of movementto fully reset the tongue under the action of a thin wheel-flange theaction of a thickerflange would result in breakage. The arrangementwhich I have shown and described clearly avoids all difficulty of thiskind.

Inasmuch as the device forms a positive lock for-the switch-tongue:until released at the distant side of the crossing, the tongue will nottrail to pass a car in the oppositedirection, and the arrangement'istherefore applicable only to double-track roads, asshown in Fig. 1. By aslight modification now tobe described the device may, however,bexreadily adapted to single-track use. I-n'such modification in lieu ofthe rod or stem F.,-'r'igidlysecured to the wedge-block F, I secureasimilar rodor stem VV-to the switch tongue and provide in the block F arecess w to receive the end portion of the same. In lieu:of the springK, seated at oneend against :the wall of the box D, I employ a heavierspring W, seated at one end against :the wedge-block F and at theopposite end against a-pinorcollar w on the stem W. Theoperation,-'while similar .to that of the form first described, :isslightly different in detail. The lock is;released by the distantoperator in the same manner as above, the block F moving laterally awayfrom the rod or stem W under the action of the spring W and into lockingfengagement with the'block G. The motorman can now throw the tongue andpermit the car to pass, As the car proceeds the wheel-plate O isactuated, thereby releasing the lock between the blocks F and G. Thereturn move ment of the block F, effected in part by the spring I and inpart by the rocker E, puts the spring W under compression, the spring Wacting to return the switch-tongue to its normal diverting position. Thesocket W, it will be readily seen, permits the tongue to trail and passa car in the opposite direction.

In neither of the forms above described is it necessary for the distantoperator to hold the lock released until the car has passed, this beingautomatically effected by the lock between the wedge-blocks.

For the sake of brevity and convenience I have herein and in theappended claims used the word tongue to designate the movable member ofthe switch. I do not by this, however, limit the invention to anyparticular form of switch, and the term should be understood as applyinggenerally to the movable member of a switch whatever may be itsparticular character.

I do not in this application, claim broadly, a switch having a lockwhich cannot be released except from a distant point and which when soreleased cannot be operated except from the switch, as this forms thesubject-matter of another application of even date herewith, Serial No.725,333. I donot, however, desire to limit myself in this application tothe particular construction and arrangement of parts which I have shownand described, as the same may be varied in detail without departingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protectby Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a switch normally set to divert a car from itsmain track, of a lock for normally holding the movable mem ber of theswitch in said position, means operable at a distant pointfor releasingthe said lock, automatic devices for holding the said lock in releasedposition, and means for .releasing said devices, resetting the switch,and relocking the same after a car has passed.

2. The combination with a switch normally set to divert a car from itsmain track, of a lock for normally holding the movable member of theswitch in such position, means operable from a distant point to releasethe said lock, automatic devices for holding the lock released while acar is passing, and means operated by the passage of the car forautomatically resetting and relocking the switch.

3. The herein-described means for compelling a car to stop beforepassing a crossing or other danger-point, comprising a switch normallyset to divert a car from its track and locked in that position, meanswhereby the lock can .be released only from a place in advance of thecrossing or other danger-point and wherebythe switch when released canbe operated only from the place where it is situated, and means forautomatically resetting the switch and relocking the same after a carhas passed.

t. In a safety-switch of the character described, the combination with amain track, siding or turnout rails, and a switch-tongue set to normallydivert a car from the main track to said siding or turnout rails,ofalock for holding said tongue so set, means for releasing said look ata distant point without throwing the switch-tongue to its otherposition, means whereby the said tongue when thrown is automaticallylocked in that position while the car is passing, and means oper-.

ated by the further movement of the car for releasing the last-namedlock, for resetting the switch-tongue to normal position, and forrestoring the first-named lock.

5. In a safety-switch, the combination with a switch-tongue normally setto divert an approaching car from its track, of cooperating wedgedevices which normally look said tongue in that position, meansconnected to one of said devices for actuating it in. one di rectionfrom a distance, a spring for actuat ing said device in the reversedirectiommeans for locking said device against the action of thesaidspring, and means operated by the passage of the car for releasing thelastnamed lock.

6. In a safety-switch, the combination with a switclrtongue normally setto divert a car from its track, of cooperating wedge devices, one ofwhich has a rod or projection normally engaging said tongue and lockingthe same against movement, means connected to the other of said devicesfor actuating it from a distant point, means for effecting a lockbetween the said devices, and car-operated means for releasing said lockand returning the parts to their normal positions.

7. In a safety-switch, the combination with a switch-tongue normally setto divert a car from its track, of a device having a rod or stemnormally in looking contact with the switch-tongue, and having a wedgeportion, a cooperating wedge-piece, means connected to said piece foroperating the same from a distance to release the said device, a springfor retaining said piece, means for restraining the operation of saidspring, and car-operated devices for releasing the restraining means.

8. In a safety-switch, the combination with a switch-tongue normally setto divert a car from its track, of a wedge having a rod or stem forcontact with the said tongue, a co operating wedge, means connected tothe latter for actuating it from a distance in one direction, a springfor actuating it in the reverse direction, means for effecting a lockbetween said wedges for restraining the action of said spring, a rockerdevice engaging the first-named wedge, and means located in advance ofthe switch and operated by the passing car for actuating said rockerdevice.

9.. In a safety-switch, a pair of cooperating wedges, one of which has arod or projection normally engaging the movable member of the switch tolock the same in position to divert a car from its track, and the otherof which has a shoulder for engagement with the first and also meansconnected thereto for operating it in one direction from a distantpoint, a spring for effecting a reverse movement, a rocker engaging thefirst-named wedge. a pivoted Wheel-plate in advance of the switch, and aconnection between said plate and the rocker.

10. The combination with a switch normally set to divert an approachingcar, means for normally locking the same, means for releasing said lockat a distance-and means for holding the same released until the car haspassed the switch, of a wheel-plate located in advance of the switch tobe actuated by the wheel-flanges of a passing car, and connectionswhereby the movement of said plate releases the holding means, and meansfor resetting the .switch-lockupon the said release.

11. The combination with a switch normallyset to divert an approachingcar, a laterally-movable wedge having a rod. or stem which forms a lockfor said switch, a longitudinally-movable cooperating Wedge,manually-operated means for actuating the lastnamed wedge from adistance in one direction, a'spring for actuating the same in thereverse direction, a spring for actuating the laterally-movable wedge inone direction,and car-operated means for actuating itin the reversedirection.

12. The combination with a switch normall-y set to divert an approachingcar, means for lockingthesame, means for releasing the lock from adistant point to permit the switch to be thrown at the point where it issituated, and means for holding the lock released until a car haspassed, of means operated by the car for releasing the holding meansandfor partly resetting the switch, and a spring for completing theresetting of the switch.

13. In asafety-switch,the combination-with a movable switch member, of apair of cooperating wedges normally forming a lock for said member, asocketed rocker located at a distance from said switch, and on theopposite side of a danger-point, a connection between said rocker andone of said wedges, a device operated by the flange of a car-wheel andsituated between the switch and the danger-point a connection betweensaid device and the other of said wedges, and springsa'cting upon saidWedges to move them in directions reverse to those in which they arerespectively moved through said connections.

14:. In a safety-switch, thecombinationwith a movable switch member, thecooperating wedge devices forming a lock therefor, and means forreleasing said lock-from a distant point, of a rocker having abifurcated arm engaging one of said wedges, awheel-plate located inadvance of the switch to be operated bythe wheel-flanges of a car, arocker adjacent thereto, and a connection between the two rockers.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ARTHUR L. GEORGE.

Witnesses:

MYRTLE E. SHARPE, H. W. SMITH.

